‘He’s a little star’: The unlikely rise of speedy Northern Bullant Chris Scerri in the VFL

Plucked out of the Strathmore Under 18.5 team, Chris Scerri has risen at VFL club Northern Bullants with a speed to match his pace as a pressure-applying small forward.

The stunning rise of Northern Bullants gun Chris Scerri.

Among the list of 20-odd recruits to the Northern Bullants this year, one stood apart.

Chris Scerri was making the move from Strathmore to the VFL, but not the ‘More’s seniors.

He was signed straight out their Under 18.5 team.

It seemed a great leap, in playing standard for Scerri and of faith for the Bullants.

After all, he had not come through the established pathway, in his case the Calder Cannons.

Yet Bullants assistant coach Rocky Iannello, who had seen Scerri playing school football, insisted the youngster could handle the VFL.

He’s been proven an astute judge. The 177cm right-footer has played every game this year as a pressure-bearing half-forward and contributed worthily to a team that lost its first 12 matches, but has stirringly and spectacularly won the past two.

On Sunday at Cramer St, the Bullants flashed home with seven goals to none in the last quarter to defeat top-four aspirant Williamstown by eight points, ending the Towners’ run of eight consecutive victories.

Northern Bullants small forward Chris Scerri celebrates a goal against the Sydney Swans.

The speedy Scerri did his bit with 13 disposals and five tackles – not bad for a player still qualified to play “unders’’ for Strathmore in the Essendon and District league.

Bullants coach Rohan Welsh remembers being taken aback as he watched his hopeful early in the pre-season.

“We said we needed speed in the front-half and as soon as I saw him at training, I said to Rocky, ‘Mate, this kid is lightning-quick’,’’ Welsh says.

He’s since seen other qualities.

“He doesn’t lose contest and he’s tough,’’ he says.

“Really invested in the team too and trying to make the team better.

“His team efforts are unbelievable every single week. Last week he had six or seven efforts in a row – he went to one contest, then to the next one, then to the next one, because they (Sydney Swans) were chipping it around. He kept going and going and in the end he lunged at the last bloke and they kicked it back to us. We went down and kicked a goal. It was incredible. That’s the sort of stuff you can’t teach.’’

Welsh adds: “The only time he gets beaten is when they kick it up in the air and a 6’5 bloke marks it on him. He’s unreal.’’

Chris Scerri shows off his Northern Bullants jumper.

Although Scerri did not make the cut at the Cannons, he had other credentials besides winning the medal as best-afield for Strathmore’s Under 18.5 grand final team last year.

He also won the St Bernard’s College best and fairest and was named in the ACC team of the year.

Still, Scerri, a commerce student at Latrobe University, was surprised when Iannello called at the end of last season.

“I don’t know how he got my number – still don’t know to this day, actually,’’ he says.

“But I was happy to get down and see where it goes. I got the pre-season under my belt and finally got the contract.’’

Christopher Scerri shapes to handball against Williamstown earlier this season. Picture: AFL Photos

His lack of Talent League recognition, he says, has made him “a lot more hungry for an opportunity’’.

Scerri says he could not be more thankful to Welsh, Iannello or the Ants for taking a chance on him.

Quirkily, he played his first senior game not with Strathmore, but Northern Bullants.

Scerri says the jump has been “huge, 100 per cent it has’’, but he’s coped. More, his pace and his pressure have been assets to the Ants.

Welsh calls him “low maintenance’’ too, a player who turns up, trains hard, listens and prepares well. “He’s just so coachable,’’ he says.

AFLW premiership coach Paul Groves was director of sport at St Bernard’s last year, helping with the football team.

He thought Scerri “clearly the best player in the comp’’ and is chuffed to see him performing well for the Bullants.

“He’s got all the attributes other than being six-foot tall,’’ Groves says.

“He’s what clubs are looking for now, small forwards who are lightning-fast.’’

Chris Scerri on the run for the Strathmore Under 18s.

At Strathmore, chests are puffing with pride at the rise of a player who started with the club as an Under 10 with his twin brother Joseph.

The Scerri family is entrenched at the ‘Mores, with father Paul helping with coaching and his eldest son, Luca, playing in the seniors.

“He’s a little star,’’ president John Toniolo says of Chris.

“He’s quick. That’s his one-wood. He’s quick and he’s got good skills. What he lacks in size he makes up for in heart. He’s certainly someone we’re pretty excited about, especially since he didn’t go through the traditional system. When he got an opportunity to do a pre-season with the Bullants, we encouraged him to pursue it. To his credit, he got on the list. Then he got a game. Now he’s a regular. We’re very proud of him.’’

Originally published as ‘He’s a little star’: The unlikely rise of speedy Northern Bullant Chris Scerri in the VFL